Kurnool: Kurnool district is set to benefit from the central government’s One District One Product (ODOP) initiative.
The district administration has selected handloom silk sarees as the designated product. The aim herein is to diversify products, preserve traditional art, ensure their usefulness for future generations, and enhance the quality of sarees to meet international standards.
The programme provides support in the form of common facility centres, marketing assistance, and skill development centres.
Each district in AP is nominating one product for the ODOP programme with the goal of making the district a hub for a specific, traditional product.
The proposal for handloom silk sarees from Kurnool district has been submitted to Delhi. Representatives from Invest India, on behalf of the central government, recently visited Kurnool to verify the ODOP award application. The central team inspected the handloom units, common facility centers, and dyeing units in Kodumur and Yemmiganur. They also studied the support facilities provided by the district administration to the weavers.
Officials say 800 families in Kodumuru and 1,900 families in Yemmiganur prepare silk sarees. There are a total of 3,300 artisans in the district that make various products.
The programme is seen as a means to achieve holistic socioeconomic growth, attract investment, generate employment, and provide an ecosystem for innovation and the use of technology at the district level, making products competitive in the domestic and international markets.
Kurnool's handloom silk sarees are known for their gorgeous pallus of silk zari, combining lightweight comfort with resplendent designs, making them suitable for celebrations and festivities.
These sarees are known for their foldability, demonstrated through special crease marks. They feature contemporary colour combinations. The raw materials used are silk and cotton, with the body of the saree made of cotton threads and the border and pallu made of silk threads.
“This ODOP initiative presents a wonderful opportunity for product diversification and continuation of traditional handloom art. Common Facility Centers, marketing support, and skill development centers will be provided as part of the programme to promote this ancient art form,” said Hari Krishna, assistant director of handlooms and textiles.
